Newsmaker

International newsmaker Q&A Garrett Fitzgerald

India is playing a prominent role in implementing electric vehicles. The Boulder, Colo.-based Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) has joined with Indian governmental officials and private industry executives to produce a landmark study entitled, “India Leaps Ahead: Transformative Mobility Solutions for All.”

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“India has a historic opportunity to lead the world in transforming its mobility sector,” says RMI CEO Jules Kortenhorst. “The country can combine its entrepreneurial spirit, robust public- and private-sector partnerships, and history of innovation in information technology and manufacturing with the advances in clean energy and transportation technology to drive global mobility innovation. This report provides a clear roadmap to realize the powerful economic, environmental and social benefits these approaches will provide, both to Indian citizens and to those around the globe.”

Garrett Fitzgerald, RMI’s manager of fleet electrification, recently answered a series of questions posed by Aftermarket Business World:

Q: How would you assess motorist acceptance of electric vehicles on a global basis? Are there particular nations that stand out as prominent EV marketplaces – present or near-future?

A: Global EV sales grew 60 percent in 2015 and 42 percent in 2016, when China sold more EVs than the world sold in 2014, and launched 10-times growth (goals) during 2015 to 2020.

China has surpassed the U.S. in EV sales volume with nearly double the number of EV sales in 2016 at an estimated 360,000 vehicles sold. China is putting large amounts of money behind EV charging infrastructure as well as financial incentives for vehicles. In many cities in China, EVs get special access to priority lanes, expedited registration and are exempt from acquisition and excise taxes.

In India, 85 percent of Indian consumers would ride in fully self-driving cars, compared to 58 percent globally. India has the highest willingness to use shared autonomous vehicles (67 percent), per the same survey; China (62 percent) is second.